You can’t deny it, there is something uniquely magical about fresh flowers. According to Martha Stewart, “fresh flowers…are like a bundle of sunshine, a gift from nature that glows with good cheer.” As corny as that quote may sound, I’ve got to admit that I could not agree more. Since Jason and I got married (almost two and half years ago), I’ve made it a priority to have fresh florals in our home each week. There are the occasional weeks when life is insanely busy and I don’t have a chance to pick up any, but for the most part we have some fresh bloomies each week. Inspired by my obsession with fresh flowers and passion for fashion, I teamed up with Caroline of Passiflora Studio to share a classic yet whimsical look that celebrates both the beauty of unique jewelry and fresh blooms.

The primary goal in creating this look was to showcase the sweet femininity of fresh flowers and their ability to create dynamics in fashion. Initially, Caroline and I discussed the possibility of creating something much more abstract, like a floral skirt, but soon realized that simplicity was the approach we needed to take.  To create this uniquely adorned piece, I selected the palette colors and Caroline selected florals that she thought would be fitting for the overall aesthetic of the look. The primary floral used to create this fresh flower accessory are ranunculus, which I consider to be the most beautiful flower ever!

The true intention of this post was to simply showcase creativity! I guess if I had to select a specific moral of today’s post there would be three things:

1. No idea is too out of the box in life or in fashion.
2. Add some fresh flowers to your life, because they will truly change your life.
3. Create and collaborate with others. It’s truly a magical experience!

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This post is in collaboration with Passifora Studio. All thoughts and opinions remain my own.

The post Uniquely Adorned appeared first on Clutch MOV.

Let’s be honest. There is one thing that all women love and that’s sparkles! While some women love sparkly things more than others, that desire to shine lies deep within all of us…or at least that is what I believe.

One of the things that I love most about the holidays is that I have the opportunity to wear lots of sparkly things! Its that one time of the year when you do not have to apologize for being over dressed and bright. In fact, most of the World embraces the fanciful things that come along with the season. As many of you may know, one of the fanciful things that the ladies of the Mid-Ohio Valley look forward to is the Sparkly Ladies Night hosted by the lovely Nikki Bulter. With this year’s annual event just around the corner, I wanted to take a quick moment and share a holiday look that would be perfect for Sparkly Ladies Night! While I do love sparkly things in life, I’m also aware that I cannot wear them as frequently as other key pieces in my wardrobe! So, for this look I decided to take more of a dress up/dress down approach by investing a little moo la into a quality sequin skirt from Express and pairing it with a simple sweater from American Eagle that has been in my wardrobe for about 3 years now! Because I was combining a more casual piece with a fancy piece, I knew that a bold lip and killer statement necklace would be the KEY to make this look cocktail ready. When it comes to finding great baubles, Heirloom Finds pretty much has it all! And speaking of it all, Heirloom Finds is offering this special code “ClutchMOV” at checkout for 20% off your purchase, now through 1/31/16, which you most definitely should use to help you create the most perfect Sparkly Ladies look! Also, for those of you who are looking for wardrobe inspiration, I did a little Internet searching and found great, affordable, sparkly pieces. I feel confident in saying that you may be able to catch them on sale if you are shopping this week : )

ALL IMAGES Kimberly J Photography

Looking forward to seeing all of the wonderfully sparkly looks!!

Get The Look:

• – Pim + Larkin Women’s Double Layer Wrap Coat Size
• – American Eagle Sweater
• – Express Sequin Skirt
• – Heirloom Finds Statement Necklace
• – Lip: Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick (Color: BESO)

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There are two things that I love about fall style. 1. Layering and 2. Mixing & Matching. Truth be told, I do a lot of layering and mixing and matching throughout the year, but for some reason it tends to be amplified for me during the fall. I was recently working with a client who expressed some frustration about the whole fall layering and mixing and matching concepts. Typically if one person has a frustration, there are usually others who feel the same. With that in mind, I decided I would take this opportunity and shed some light on how I approach these concepts, in hopes of helping you master layering and mixing & matching. And to be completely honest, I think you will be surprised to know how simple it actually is!

So, first things first. Be open. In order to layer and/or mix and match like the shabby chic ladies you see via Pinterest and Instagram, you must be open! By “be open”, I simply mean, be open to the fact that it’s going to be different from what you usually do. Be open to the fact that mastering these style concepts requires trial and error. In my experience with personal styling, I have come to learn that many individuals have style roadblocks that hinder them from experiencing new things within fashion. The key to personal style is knowing that it’s personal, which leads me to my next point. Be creative. We are truly living in the fashion days of no rules! Anything goes (which can be a bit scary if you’re picking up what I’m putting down). Long gone are the days of “no black and brown” and “no white after Labor day”, as discussed in one of my summer posts. Rather than living by those traditional rules, I encourage you to blur the lines and start being creative! The cool thing about fall layering and mixing and matching is knowing that the possibilities are endless. Rather than allowing various patterns and colors to throw you off, use them as inspiration and add dimension to your look. And when in doubt, you can always balance your look with a solid or two, as it will keep your outfit nice and balanced!

I hope this post inspires YOU!

Personal style is about taking classic pieces and reinterpreting them to make them your own. – Frida Giannini

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They say that every woman should have a go-to black dress, which I totally agree with. In fact, I own about seven black dresses. But I also believe that every woman should own a go-to white dress, especially for the summer season. Before we go on, let’s clarify a couple of things about wearing white:

• The “No White After Labor Day” no longer exists
• To double clarify that notion, YES, you can wear white year round
• There is a difference in various hues of white, but no one really cares
• Yes, white gets dirty easily, but that’s why we have fabric bleach
• Yes, white dresses can be more sheer, but that’s why we have slips

Now that I have covered a couple of the reasons why you wouldn’t want to wear a white dress, let me tell you why you need one. Much like the black dress staple hanging in your closet, owning a white dress is essential when building a classic and moldable wardrobe. Unlike a black dress, a white dress is the epitome of crisp and refreshing. Additionally, a white dress embodies sweet femininity, while black has a tendency to be a bit sultrier. It is because of the color white that we are able to have the various shades of the rainbow in our wardrobes.

More so than any other color, white can be perfectly paired with any shade or hue, be it light or dark. The all white trend gained momentum in Spring 2014 and according to fashion powers that be, this trend isn’t dying anytime soon. So, rather than continuing to fight it, just go ahead and give in. I promise it will be worth it. Per the usual, I want to inspire you by showing you how incredibly versatile a white summer dress can be. In this post, I will be showing you 3 really easy ways to wear your classic white dress for the remainder of the summer. Heck, you can even transition wear it into the fall, but I will have to show you those tips at a later date! For now, let’s just focus on classic white summer style.

LOOK 1: SIMPLICITY

Take it easy and simply wear the dress as is. Pair it with a few of your go-to accessories, a flat sandal, a cross body bag and a nude lip. A perfect and stylish summer look for running errands around town.

LOOK 2: LIGHTLY ADORNED

Looking for simplicity with a little flare? If so, you can lightly adorn your white dress with a thin, neutral colored cardigan and a soft toned nude bag. You could even go with a colored cardigan if you are looking to spice things up a bit. A look fitting for evening dining al fresco with the girlfriends or your beau.

LOOK 3: BOLDLY EDGY

Take your white dress from sweet femininity to boldly edgy by pairing it with a bright red lip, a denim jacket and an oversized handbag. Pairing these style essentials with a white dress allows you to maintain that crisp summer feel, while also being a bit edgy. This look would be ideal for one of those days when you have plans immediately following work and no time to change. This is a great day-to-night look for summer. As you can see, the classic white dress is extremely versatile! So, summer clearance sales are happening everywhere right now. I encourage you to take it upon yourself and find a classic white dress for your wardrobe. Even if you don’t wear it this summer, you can wear it next year. I feel 100% positive in saying that we will be seeing more white on the runway this fall and spring! Actually, I know we will.

Happy White Dress Shopping!

P.S. That’s my sweet niece, Raeleigh in the photos with me! She was all about modeling her Old Navy dress for you guys!

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ALL IMAGES © 2015 Kimberly J Photography

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In September of 2011, I made a visit to Ohio for the wedding of a sweet friend I met while in New York City. Never in a million years did I think I would meet my now husband at that wedding and make the Mid-Ohio Valley my home. Ha. Seeing that it has been almost two years since I made the move from NYC to the MOV, I decided it was high time that I acquire some Ohio apparel. After all, it is home now. Plus, I need some super cool stuff to wear to all of these Ohioan sporting events. I have learned that Ohio takes this state pride thing very seriously! I’m originally from Georgia, which I thought was the ultimate state, but you Ohioans have proved this girl wrong. Okay, I digress. Just as I was contemplating shopping around for a few OH things, I received an e-mail from Clothe Ohio asking if I would like to team up with them for a little style collaboration. Without hesitation I said YES. Here’s why:

1. FABRIC QUALITY – I don’t wear tees or sweatshirts very often, but when I do, I want it to be extra comfy! While perusing the Clothe Ohio site, I noticed that each product description included “CRAZY SOFT” and let me just tell you, I shop a lot and NO company consistently makes note of that unless it is 150% true.
2. STYLE VARIETY – Clothe Ohio literally has something for EVERYONE. There’s a wide variety of apparel for women, men and kiddos. Additionally, they even carry a few home décor prints.
3. PHILANTHROPIC MISSION – Not only is Clothe Ohio a trendy clothing company, but they also have a philanthropic purpose. Clothe Ohio teams up with various non-profit and charitable organizations across Ohio in hopes of providing these organizations with clothing for Ohioans in need. For every purchase made, Clothe Ohio donates a tee shirt or sweater to the respective organization, so it can be distributed to an Ohioan in need. Pretty cool, huh? I was already a fan of Clothe Ohio because of the quality and style variety, but it was their passion to serve that really captivated me.

Here’s quick look at two items I selected and styled just for you!

740 Area Code Cross Tee

Ohio Circle Black Off-Shoulder Sweatshirt

So as you can see, their apparel is pretty stellar. In hopes of spreading the word about this amazing clothing company and their spectacular mission, Clothe Ohio has agreed to gift ONE $50 e-giftcard to a Clutch MOV reader! No worries, you can thank me later! Just joking. On a more serious note, below you will find the instructions as to how you can enter the giveaway. Contest closes Tuesday, April 14^th at 12 a.m. EST. Winner will be announced on Wednesday, April 15^th via the Clutch MOV’s Instagram.

The post Clothe Ohio! appeared first on Clutch MOV.

As many of you may know, the blanket scarf trend has taken the world by storm! In fact, I remember when the trend was introduced last winter. Just a few weeks after I decided to put myself on a shopping freeze, Zara introduced this beautiful plaid scarf that seemingly swept the land.  Unsure if the massive blanket scarf would make a cameo for Winter 2015, I prayed, prayed and prayed some more. And guess what? The trend returned and I am now the proud owner of THREE. In my excitement, I failed to think about how I would wrap such a massive scarf around my neck. I mean, it’s definitely a lot of fabric. However, with a little effort, experimentation and Pinterest stalking, I managed to discover my most favorite ways to wear the blanket scarf. In just six easy steps, I’ll be showing you the most basic way to wear this enormous scarf, along with a few other ways that I prefer to wear it!

Step 1. You simply take the scarf and unfold it. It’s one big square!

Step 2. You will then take the square shaped scarf and fold it diagonally into a triangle.

Step 3. Once you have it folded into a triangle, you will fine roll the scarf forward, until you are about half way down.

Step 4. From there, you will flip the front of the scarf to the back. So the rolled section will now be facing your tummy.

Step 5. You will place the scarf around your neck and crisscross the fabric in the back

Step 6. Crisscross the fabric in the back and pull.

For finishing touches, you can do one of two options! Option 1. You can stick the loose ends underneath the front of the scarf and allow them to hang down. Or Option 2. Stick the loose ends underneath the front of the scarf and tuck the excess fabric.  Pretty easy, huh? For those of you who hate being choked by fabric, do not worry! I have a couple of suggestions for you…keep scrolling down!

Another basic way to style the blanket scarf is simply wearing it as a cape (or shawl). To give it dynamic, you could even add a belt! While I have personally yet to try belting my scarf, I’ve seen it and it looks amazing.

I call this style “folded” and it’s a really great alternative when you want to wear a blanket scarf but without all of the fuss! To achieve this shape, refer back to the very first image of me with the scarf all stretched out. You will take the scarf from that exact shape and fold it down in small-medium sections until you get to the end. You then throw it around your neck and boom!

And lastly, upside down! This is one of my most favorite ways to wear the blanket scarf, because it’s so unexpected. As you may notice, it is the cape style from above, but upside down. I take the point of the cape, bunch the remaining fabric in my hands and drape the scarf across the back of my shoulders. To give it more of a messy look, I pull one side of the scarf, so it’s longer than the other side.

In understanding that the infamous scarf had yet another successful year, I am sure we will not be saying goodbye to this trend anytime soon. Unfortunately, most retailers are already getting rid or have gotten rid of their winter items, so it may be difficult to get your hands on a thick wool one. However, I’m excited to share that the trend will be carrying over for Spring 2015! I have already started shopping for my spring blanket scarf additions….

The post Styling the Blanket Scarf appeared first on Clutch MOV.

Sadly, summer is officially over. But I have good news…it doesn’t have to be over with your wardrobe! A nice way to keep the summer rolling is by simply transitioning some of your favorite summer pieces into your fall wardrobe. I know, much easier said than done, but it is doable. It just requires a little patience, determination and creativity. In hopes of inspiring you to give this a whirl, I’m going to show you how I plan on transitioning the ever-popular crop top trend into my fall wardrobe this season.

This past summer I basically lived in this crop top from American Eagle that I scored for $4.99. Unlike most crop tops, this one is relatively modest. I don’t feel that I am overexposing my tummy area. For this fall inspired look, I decided to pair the crop top with a high-waisted jean in hopes of reducing the amount of tummy showing. After all it is fall, which means there will be a slight breeze in the air. The less skin showing, the better!

The key to creating any summer-to-fall look is layering. So, to make this crop top more fall appropriate, I layered it with a tan maxi cardigan and a leopard print infinity scarf. I love the effect of the crop top, cardigan and scarf combination, because together they centralize the focus of the look, which is the crop top!

As for accessorizes, I just went to my staple pieces, because they literally go with any and every thing. That’s why they are staples. LOL. For those of you who are curious, the necklace is from Delicate Raymond of NYC, the bracelets are Alex and Ani and the handbag is an old school Dooney and Bourke that I got for one heck of a deal 3 years ago.

To finalize the look, I decided to add a dark lip color. I strongly believe that adding a little lipstick immediately changes the nature of a look!

And there you have it…a little summer-to-fall wardrobe inspiration! Just remember to keep an open mind, incorporate layering and add a lipstick. Have questions for me? If so, just drop a comment below and I will be delighted to help you : ) Happy Fall and Happy Styling.

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It is without a shadow of a doubt that summer is here! The temperatures are rising by the day, which makes life a bit difficult in the glam department.  As much as I HATE to admit this, summer time often requires a new collection of beauty products, which equates to time, money, more time and more money. So in hopes of helping you avoid hours upon hours of researching the “Must Have Products for Summer 2014”, I’ve done the work for you!  Here’s the inside scoop on the summer products you oughta know…

1. Bliss Body Butter – During the summer months we all want that fresh, dewy skin! Well, Bliss Body Butter is one way that you can achieve that.  This lotion smoothens, softens and hydrates the skin. Also, it has an incredibly rich texture that does not leave the skin greasy. It is definitely a bit pricier than most lotions, but totally worth it! If you are lucky, you may find it at TJ Maxx for a discounted price.

2. Flora by Gucci (Eau de Toilette) – Finding a summer fragrance can be a bit troublesome, considering the vast array of options! But I am here to tell you that Flora by Gucci is pretty dang awesome! It’s light, yet amazingly fragrant and long lasting. Not only is it a great summer perfume, but it can also be used as a transitional fragrance for fall.

3. Heritage Store Rosewater – Do you ever find yourself needing a little “facial pick-me-up” during the day? Well, rosewater is your answer! Rosewater (in a spray bottle) is the easiest way to freshen your skin during the day. It sits on top of makeup nicely and provides you with that little boost you were looking for!

1. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer – Nothing is worse than wearing heavy foundation in the summer. It literally just slides off your face as soon as your skin meets the sun, creating this oily/greasy look. So to avoid that all together, I would recommend that you pick up either a BB Cream or Tinted Moisturizer for the summer months. The biggest hesitation that most women have with either of these products is the coverage. Naturally it has minimal coverage, which kinda freaked me out, until I discovered this tinted moisturizer by Laura Mercier. The coverage is incredibly long lasting. Also, this tinted moisturizer is illuminating, which gives the skin a sun-kissed glow. For best results apply with a foundation brush.

2. Benefit They’re Real Mascara – The best mascara ever made. You just need to try it.

3. Laqa & Co. Sheer Lip Lube – I absolutely love lipstick, but typically it is just too hot to wear in the summer time (I find myself reapplying way too frequently.) So I usually just keep it simple with a tinted chapstick or gloss. Laqa & Co is known for creating the most convenient lip products possible. Not only do they have an array of soft-pigmented shades, but their products also focus on moisturizing the lip, while giving it the best possible shine. This lip lube contains shea butter and is infused with refreshing mint.

4. Benefit Total Moisture Facial Cream –  As you may notice, I’m pretty serious about having hydrated and healthy skin! This is the 4th product I’ve recommended regarding moisture. Lol. But on a more serious note, having  daily moisture in your summer skin care regimen is beyond imperative! This tri-radience complex by Benefit Cosmetics provides both immediate and long-lasting hydration for the skin. For $42 this moisturizer can provide you with a refreshed complexion. For best results, I recommend that you use it once in the morning and once at night before bed. Per my usage, product will last approximately 5 months.

And there you have it my friends…a couple of summer products you oughta know!

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